The Minister of information, Mustapha Hamid has told the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana that the country will not hesitate to apply the full force of the law if any Chinese national is arrested in connection with illegal mining.
The Minister's remark comes on the heels of government's massive showroom with galamsey operators and the commitment in ending the illegal mining activities across the country.
The Chinese Ambassador had earlier expressed reservations about the manner in which the West African country is treating Chinese engaged in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) following the Akufo-Addo government relentless war against galamsey activities.
"The Chinese side is very concerned about this unhealthy tendency," said the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana.
But speaking in an interaction with the Ambassador, Sun Boahong, when she paid a courtesy call on the Minister yesterday, Mr. Mustapha Hamid reiterated government's commitment to fighting the menace saying all culprits including the Chinese will face the full regors of the law, if they are caught.
"Frankly our biggest headache as a country is the destruction of our environment, and we are frightened about the prospect that in ten years if we do not take steps to sanitize our environment, that we would have to import water in order to drink or even to live. That is a very frightening prospect and we don't want to get there, so as a government we are very determined to stamp out all of the environmental practices that threaten our future, and therefore we want you to help us in that regard. To talk to your citizens, engage them on the need to obey our laws and to behave within the bounds of the law, so that when our laws catch up with any of your citizen, you understand that it is not to crackdown on Chinese people because there are many Chinese people who are conducting legitimate business in our country and putting money in our country and employing Ghanaian citizens. And therefore, we cannot allow the few who are not behaving according to law to affect the fortunes of those who are behaving according to law."
In her response, the Chinese Ambassador stated that the arrest of Chinese nationals allegedly engaged in illegal mining activities is not the panacea to fighting the menace.
According to her, government must rather address the institutional challenges that have allowed the problem to fester.
" . . We think it's very important to provide a very objective view of this issue to the general public of this two countries. If you do not give objective view that actually leads to objective view of the solution of the issue; because only by law enforcement or only by catching Chinese people on the side will not solve this issue. There are more structural issues we need to welcome But we pledge our commitment to work with this government to find proper solution to the issue."
Source: The Daily Dispatch
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Madam Ambassador, please be honest and tell the world WHAT YOUR GOV'T - THE CHINESE GOV'T - WOULD DO TO ANY OF ITS OWN CITIZENS (not to mention of a foreigner in China) WHO GO ROUND DESTROYING THE WATERS AND ARABLE LANDS OF CHINA?
What does she (chinese the ambassador) mean by these two countries? this is our country, this is our problem, we will deal with whoever engages in illegal mining, wherever the individual hails from. With regards to our institutions, the government is working relentlessly on that, but in the process, whoever disobeys any order by the government, like the one from Peter Amewu that all mining activities should cease, would be dealt with. What nonesense
chinese shoud stop thier babaric bihevior in ghana and adevice themself .
.....culprits including the Chinese will face the full regors of the law, if they are caught (Mr. Mustapha Hamid). WHICH LAWS IS THE HONORABLE MINISTER REFERRING TO? GHANA HAVE NO LAWS IN THE COUNTRY. WE BLACK PEOPLE ARE FUUUUUULS. STOP COMPLAINING…... WE BLACK PEOPLE HAVE NO SENSE AT ALL. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING IN UGANDA AND ZAMBIA WHERE THERE ARE INFLUX OF CHINESE WITH ACCOMPANYING DESTRUCTION OF THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES. UGANDA IMMIGRATION WAS HEARD SAYING CHINESE ARE MAKING BABIES WITH THE LOCAL POPULATION SO THEIR PRESENCE IN UGANDA IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY. BLACK PEOPLE CAN BE BOUGHT AND BRIBED WITH 2 GHANA CEDIS. FOR THE FIRST PLACE HOW DID THESE CHINESE ENDED UP IN GHANA? DON'T WE HAVE IMMIGRATION MINISTER? OR SOMEONE IN CHARGE OF IMMIGRATION? CORRUPT IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS AND SOME POLICE PERSONNEL SHOULD BE BLAMED FOR ALL THE INFLUX OF FOREIGN ILLEGAL MINERS INTO THE COUNTRY WITH ACCOMPANYING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND DESTRUCTION OF OUR WATER BODIES.
This is how far our country has been motgaged to other countries, If a Minister of Foreign Affairs can approach the Chinese Embassy to build schools in her constituency to advance her political ambition, what should we expect?
annoying , very annoying how can she tell how to solve our problems. We cannot goto China and tell them how to solve their problems. enough is enough
Ghanaians don't know about how strict the Chinese treat immigrants when it comes to their environment. can an immigrant dig even the smallest hole without a permission in their country? impossible. The so-called Chinese ambassador doesn't respect ghana that's why she's saying that. there are many Chinese here in the UK. why don't they destroy the environment as they are doing in ghana?
I TELL YOU....PEOPLE TREAT YOU HOW YOU ALLOW THEM TO TREAT YOU. WE HAVE BELITTLED AND SHAMED OURSELVES IN THE PRESENCE OF THESE CHANG CHANG PEOPLE THAT THEY THINK THEY CAN LEAVE THEIR COUNTRY AND COME AND DICTATE TO US AND WATCH US DESTROY OUR COUNTRY, WHILE THEY BUILD THEIR COUNTRY TO THE ENVY OF WORLD. I DON'T BLAME THEM AT ALL. I BLAME OUR SHA.....ME.....LE.....SS LEADERS WHO ARE SELFISH AND GREEDY AND HAVE ALLOWED THEMSELVES TO BE BOUGHT WITH MONEY AND MATERIAL THINGS. DO YOU THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT WE AS GHANAIANS CAN EVEN VENTURE GOING TO CHINA TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO EVEN TAKE STEPS IN GOVERNING THEIR COUNTRY? NO WAY, YOU WOULD BE ARRESTED FOR TREASON AND SENTENCED TO LIFE OR DEATH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. BUT SEE, HERE THEY ARE ALL FREE AND FEELING POWERFUL THREATENING US WITH S....E......==X TAPES AND GIVING US INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO IN RESOLVING OUR OWN PROBLEMS. UNTIL YOU DEFEND YOURSELF, NO ONE ELSE WILL DEFEND YOU OR STAND UP FOR YOU. GHANA IS NOT THEIR COUNTRY, SO THEY SHOULD JUST BE QUIET AND BACK OFF AND LET US DECIDE ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD TO SAVE OUR COUNTRY. SADLY SHA....ME....FUL INDEED.
These Chinese do not respect us. Can Ghanaians enter their country and involve themselves in illegalities and Ghana government tell them to leave the people and deal with their institutions? ***barred word*** Koraa